Fatehpur Sikri Things to Do

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The Hall of the Public Audience, Diwan-i-Am, was where the Emperor received his subjects. It is composed of a vast courtyard surrounded by colonnaded porticoes which terminate at the pavilion where the Emperor sat (known as Diwan Khana-i-Am). Nowadays, Diwan-i-Am also serves as one of two tourist entrances into the palace complex (the second one faces the Jami Masjid).

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Together with its vast courtyard, the Jama Masjid of Fatehpur Sikri would be one of the largest mosques in the world. It is the grand mosque of the ephemeral capital of the Mughal Empire, built by Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. Its design, which constituted a development over existing Mughal mosque architecture, was used as a model for future mosques around India. It is a long rectangular structure consisting of a central hall, topped by a large cupola and entered via a massive monumental portal with an iwan porch. The central hall is flanked by identical prayer halls, each crowned with a smaller cupola. A gallery of irregular pointed arches stretches across the length of the mosque and provides continuity in the porticoes that surround the courtyard. Like the rest of Fatehpur Sikri, Jama Masjid is entirely covered in exquisite geometric and floral patterns, intricately carved or inlaid with faience, marble or black stone. For photos of these designs, take a look at the travelogue: "Jama Masjid - Decorative Details."

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A monumental gateway, Buland Darwaza is the the main entrance into the complex of Jama Masjid, the grand mosque of Fatehpur Sikri. Like the rest of the city, the gate was built in 1571 by Akbar and was named "Victory Gate" to commemorate his victories in the Gujarat Region. The polygonal structure rises 54 metres, and its height is further amplified by the steep flight of steps preceding it. It was built using the same red sandstone used elsewhere in the abandoned city, inlaid with white marble in splendid geometric and floral motifs. Numerous domed chhatris (pavilions) of different sizes crown the gate, while a lofty iwan (arch-covered porch) contains the doorway which leads into the spacious courtyard of the mosque complex. The inner (north) façade of Buland Darwaza differs significantly from the main (south) façade, with its squarer form and three pointed arches.

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The interior of Jama Masjid exhibits the best of Mughal art and masonry. The walls, columns, ceilings and domes are entirely covered in geometric and floral decorations, either carved in stone, inlaid with marble, or painted. Three arched portals within the central iwan porch lead into the main prayer hall of the mosque, which is topped by a large cupola. The mihrab (prayer niche) in the direction of Mecca lies at the centre of this hall and the walls around it are covered in beautiful, albeit faded, polychrome decorations in geometric Islamic motifs and Koranic verses. On either side of the central hall are two identical hypostyle halls, with numerous columns and brackets in a very Hindu style, often seen at Hindu temples, and offer a contrast to the more Islamic decorations elsewhere (see attached photos). Beyond the hypostyle halls, are two rectangular prayer halls topped by smaller cupolas.

For photos of the mosque's exquisite designs, take a look at the travelogue: "Jama Masjid - Decorative Details."

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In sharp contrast to the red sandstone of the whole city of Fatehpur Sikri, the tomb of the Sufi saint, Shaikh Salim Chishti was built entirely in white marble. It was completed in 1581 and consists of a large domed pavilion with intricately carved marble decorations, including delicate lattice screens and snake-like brackets, clearly showing the synthesis between Islamic and Hindu styles. The sheer whiteness of the building seems like a deliberate choice to highlight the tomb of the saint, who is still revered by locals.

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The vast courtyard of the Jami Masjid complex measures 134 metres in length (east-west) and 110 metres in width (north-south). Two monumental gates, Buland Darwaza and Badshahi Darwazi, provide access into the courtyard from the south and east, respectively. Long arched porticoes surround the courtyard on three sides, while the mosque structure itself sits on the western side. As is customary in Mughal architecture, a pond and fountain mark the the centre of the courtyard, used here for ablutions. Along the northern portico is the necropolis which consists of three mausoleums surrounded by numerous sarcophagi.

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Built within the northern walls of the Jama Masjid Complex, Zenana Rauza is a mausoleum for the female members of Sheikh Salim Chishti. It was designed to look like a gate, and placed immediately opposite Buland Darwaza, to provide a degree of symmetry in the architecture. The decorations covering the mausoleum are as splendid as any within the complex, but deviate slightly in the use of blue faience tiles in the jambs around its doorway.

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A square, domed edifice within the vast courtyard, Jamaat Khana was originally built as an assembly hall for the religious figures of the Jama Masjid complex. In 1591, the main imam, Sheikh Haji Hussain, died and was buried in one corner within the building at the spot where he used to sit. This began a tradition of burying his followers within Jamaat Khana, which transformed the structure into a mausoleum. In 1613, Islam Khan, the grandson of Sheikh Salim Chishti (the saint buried in the neighbouring white marble mausoleum) was also buried in Jamaat Khana, and since then the structure has also been called Tomb of Islam Khan.